CNN's John King moderated the final GOP debate for the 2012 primary season.

The fireworks which were expected last night during the Republican candidate’s final debate on CNN never materialized. There was a period a few moments in when Mitt Romney and front-runner Rick Santorum started to mix it up but it fizzled.

Two of last night’s four candidates used the forum to attempt to reverse the public’s views on women’s rights and healthcare; and one was unusually quiet. Only one out of the quartet remained constant in his views and behavior, drawing more applause from the audience for this than anyone else.

Santorum used every chance he could to soften his views on birth control and women’s rights. While he said that he still holds these views, he said he would do nothing to enforce his views on others if he were president. Yeah right, then why talk about it at all?

Romney attempted to cast off Republican attitudes that he is responsible for President Obama’s healthcare program; the truth is that parts of the law – including the mandate to carry insurance – are modeled after the Massachusetts healthcare law which Romney signed when he was governor. But instead of addressing the issues directly, Romney chose to blame Santorum!

Newt Gingrich was unusually quiet; gone was his sharp-edged criticism and rhetoric; and he was sullen. At one point he mouthed the words “good job” to Romney who was seated beside him. Don’t be surprised by this however. It’s not that Gingrich has found a new admiration for his rival; it’s more that his casino-mogul benefactor told him to back off from criticizing Romney if he wanted any more money to support his campaign.

One of the most interesting moments came toward the end of the debate when moderator John King asked each candidate to use one word to describe themselves. The candidates answered as follows:

Ron Paul described himself as "consistent" a term which fits him perfectly.

Ron Paul said he was “consistent” which describes him perfectly. Like him or not, Ron Paul is who he is; he doesn’t pander or placate to get voters. To his credit, he answers questions directly no matter the consequences. An example came last night when John King asked Paul about a campaign ad and why he called Rick Santorum “a fake.”

Paul answered, “Because he’s a fake.”

Rick Santorum described himself as having "courage" even though he admitted to "taking one for the team."

Rick Santorum used the word “courage” to describe himself. Really? He admitted almost in the same breath that he “took one for the team” by consenting to vote for No Child Left Behind even though it violated his principles. Some courage!

Mitt Romney described himself as "resolute" even though he can't make up his mind on anything other than wanting to be president.

Mitt Romney described himself as “resolute.” The only thing Romney has made up his mind about is that he wants to live in the White House!

Newt Gingrich described himself as "cheerful." Has he seen any video replays of himself lately?

And finally, Newt Gingrich said he was “cheerful.” On what planet? A look at any videos of himself would reveal to Newt that he is anything but cheerful!

MSNBC is reporting that Donald Trump will announce that he is running for president as an independent. No way, he’s kidding, right?

Mr. Trump, who is best known for his TV reality show “The Apprentice,” is evidently dismayed by the failure of his GOP debate scheduled for later this month – only two Republican candidates have agreed to participate, everyone else declined.

Always the publicity hound, Donald Trump has attempted to keep his name in the news by portraying himself as a major influence in American politics. His debate, which will be televised two days after Christmas on ION network, was supposed to mark his power to name the GOP nominee.

Acting as “moderator,” Mr. Trump was supposed endorse his choice for president immediately afterward. GOP bigwigs including Karl Rove came out against Mr. Trump, some likening his plans to a circus.

All Republican candidates – except front-runner Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum – have declined to participate. Some, like Mitt Romney, have been polite about it; some, like Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul, spelled out their disapproval.

Mr. Trump should go back to his television show and be happy with that. Perhaps after the GOP selects its nominee, he can have the rest of them appear on a special GOP version of “The Apprentice.” In other words, don’t try to turn our political system into entertainment. Even though some of these candidates are a joke, the office of the president is serious and should be respected as such!

Like this:

Even though Democrats are calling it “a minor glitch,” the Republicans have succeeded in delaying passage of the health care fix-it bill. According to MSNBC, the Senate parliamentarian found a problem in the language regarding Pell grants after pouring through “a stack of GOP amendments” during “nine hours of uninterrupted voting” which Republicans hoped would stop the reconciliation measure before the Spring recess.

Democrats however expect no problems in sending the bill back to the House. They expect it to pass easily, according to MSNBC. See link to full story below:

Even though the Democrats’ attempts to reform health care is wrought with problems, the Republicans’ bashing of the Democrats and the proposed legislation has more of an air of hypocrisy than sincerity and appears more pretentious than real.

There is no argument that the health reform that many of us voted for is turning out to be a watered-down mess. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) stripped the public option from the bill that would have competed against the insurance industry powerhouses. And the bill has now morphed into a 2,700-plus page monster with questionable additions to benefit the states of key Senators to secure votes.

But the Republicans bang the same old tired drum that “their plan” was not heard or listened to by “the majority” and that they were not not given an opportunity to participate in reform.

Really?

What were you Republicans doing for at least six years during the Bush Administration? Remember, you were the majority then and you had a friendly White House, so why didn’t you do something then?

This health care crisis isn’t anything new. Costs have been steadily rising and it has been known since the 1990’s that the American health care system was heading for trouble.

The Republicans are now vying for votes and favor after a disastrous performance. They are posturing to appear that they have ideas to cure health care. But why didn’t they legislate their ideas into law when they had the majority and a willing President with Bush?

The Democrats aren’t above criticism; their caving into one or two Senators by stripping key parts of the legislation along with back room deals is not going to sit well with voters in the coming elections. But, they are, at least, trying to achieve a start at reform which could be improved over time.

I would accept the Republicans’ objections more if they had at least made an attempt when they were in power.